Farmers group asks gov’t for compensation due to losses after storms

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo Ramos. Photo from Danilo Ramos/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Saturday urged the government to provide compensation to farmers after recent series of calamities that brought billions in peso worth of damages to the agriculture sector.

According to KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos, many farmers are unable to recover from the frequent calamities affecting crop production.

“We demand immediate and significant compensation for these ongoing damages, as part of the government’s responsibility in addressing climate impacts on agriculture,” Ramos said in a statement.

READ: Marcos tells agrarian reform beneficiaries: Enrich our lands

Ramos also stressed that farmers are the country’s “primary food producers” yet they continue to reel from the impacts of climate change.

“Farmers and fishers are the most vulnerable to these disasters, yet we are neither the primary contributors to climate change nor the beneficiaries of policies and projects that destroy the environment,” Ramos added.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday that Kristine caused a P4.85 billion damage in agriculture. Damage in rice crops amounted to 85 percent or P4.12 billion.

READ: DA: Farm losses due to Kristine nears P5B; but still enough rice

The group also noted that genuine agrarian reform is needed to address climate change issues in the agricultural sector.

“A resilient agricultural sector is essential for food security in the face of climate change, but this can only be achieved if farmers are genuinely empowered and supported,” Ramos stated.

Further, the KMP  also called on the government to be “transparent” in utilizing disaster emergency funds, adding “as well as a shift towards policies that prioritize the welfare of farmers and rural communities.”